Beverage container cover

ABSTRACT

A cover mountable over a rim of a beverage container has a closed body having an interior cavity extending from an open end at one end of the body to an opposite second end. An inner surface of the sidewall of the body defines a plurality of contact locations with the rim of a beverage container to enable a single shape and size cover to be disposed on any of a number of beverage containers having different diameter rims. The inner surface of the wall of the body may have a smooth conical shape extending from a larger diameter at the first end of the body to a smaller diameter toward the second end of the body, a plurality of incremental, concentric steps of decreasing diameter between the first and second ends of the body or a plurality of ribs, each having an inner surface which tapers from a large diameter spacing at the first end of the body from adjacent ribs to a smaller diameter spacing toward the second end of the body.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates, in general, to apparatus for covering the open top end or rim of a variety of different sized and shaped beverage containers.

Beverage containers used in bars and restaurants come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Such containers can include beer and soda cans, beer and soda bottles, and various drinking glasses for beer, pop, mixed drinks, wine, etc., such as martini glasses, beer mugs, wine glasses, etc.

A recent trend is the establishment of non-smoking regulations in bars and restaurants. This poses a problem for smokers who periodically want to smoke a cigarette or cigar. The new non-smoking regulations necessitate that such people leave the interior of the bar or restaurant and proceed to an open space outside of the bar or restaurant to consume their cigarette or cigar.

This poses a problem for a bar and restaurant service personnel since the patrons who temporarily leave their table or bar seat frequently leave their beverages in a full or in a partially consumed state. The bar and restaurant service personnel are unable to ascertain if the patrons have permanently left the establishment so that the bar and service personnel can remove the beverage containers and clear the table or bar seat for new patrons, or if the patrons have merely stepped outside of the establishment to smoke a cigarette and thereafter will be returning to their seat to finish there beverage.

Premature removal of full or partially consumed beverages from tables or bar seats adds an additional cost to the establishment since the establishment will be required to replace the removed beverage at its own cost when the patrons return to their seat. Further, the patrons may be upset at having their partially consumed beverage removed from their seat or their seat taken by new patrons.

It would be desirable to provide a device which can be easily and quickly used by bar and restaurant patrons to indicate that while they may be temporarily away from their seat, they will be returning to their seat to finish their beverage.

SUMMARY

A cover for a beverage container having rim includes a body having a wall defining an interior cavity with an open first end and an opposed second end. An inner surface of the wall defines an engagement point with a rim of a beverage container to seat and mount the cover completely over the rim of a beverage container.

The inner surface of the wall of the body defines a plurality of beverage container mounting locations between the first and second ends to enable a single cover body to be mounted on one of a plurality of beverage containers having different diameter rims.

The wall of the body may have conical shape extending from a large diameter at the first end of the body to a smaller diameter toward the second end of the body.

Seat means are carried on the inner surface of the wall within the cavity for engaging the rim of each of a plurality of different diameter beverage containers. The seat means can include a plurality of concentric steps formed on an inner surface of the wall of the body. Each step can define one of a continuous and discontinuous annular surface. Each step can be equally incrementally spaced from adjacent steps. Each step can have an equal radial extent.

The seat means can also include a plurality of ribs carried on the inner surface of the wall of the body and extending radially inward into the cavity. The ribs define longitudinal contact points for supporting the cover on one of a plurality of different diameter beverage containers. The plurality of ribs can have equal radial dimensions. The ribs extend from between the first end toward the second end of the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The various features, advantages and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following feature of the description and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one aspect of a beverage container cover;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the beverage container cover shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the beverage container cover shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the beverage container cover shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the beverage container cover shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the beverage container cover of FIG. 1 showing the engagement of the beverage container cover with a beverage container in the form of a beer mug;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are side-elevational views showing the engagement of the beverage container cover of FIG. 1 with various shaped beverage containers including a martini glass, a beer/pop can and a soda glass respectively;

FIG. 10 is a bottom elevational view of another aspect of a beverage container cover; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view, generally taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 10, and showing the engagement of the beverage container cover shown in FIG. 10 on a beer mug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawing, and to FIGS. 1-9 in particular, there is depicted one aspect of a beverage container cover 10 operative for temporarily covering the open end of one of a number of different sized and shaped beverage containers to provide an indication to bar or restaurant service personnel that the customer who received the beverage container, while temporarily away from his or her seat, intends to return to finish their beverage. This indicates to the service personnel that they should leave the beverage alone and the patron's seat unoccupied until the customer returns.

The cover 10 can take a variety of ornamental shapes, such as the conical traffic cone shape shown in FIGS. 1-11. Other shapes can include various shaped hats, such as party hats, sombreros, top hats, etc., sports articles, such as footballs, baseballs etc., and musical instruments, such as guitars, etc. Practically any ornamental shape can be used as the body 12 of the cover 10 with the following shape features.

Thus, by example, the body 12 of the cover 10 will be described as being in the shape of a miniature traffic cone having a planar base or flange 14 and an integral conical shaped wall 16 which tapers from a large diameter, open first end 18 within the base 14, to a smaller diameter opposed second end 20.

The body 12 may be formed of any suitable material, such as paper, plastic, etc. Disposable and even recyclable or compostable paper or plastic materials may be employed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a cavity 24 is formed within the interior of the wall 16 of the body 12 and extends substantially entirely between the first and second ends 18 and 20 of the body 12.

The interior of the body 12 includes a surface or seat means which enables the cover 10 to be removably mounted in engagement with a rim surrounding the open top end of various shaped and various diameter beverage containers, as described hereafter, in a generally self-centering manner.

In the case of covers 10 having a generally conically shaped wall, such as wall 16, the inner surface of the wall 16 itself acts as seat since the rim of a beverage container will automatically seek the complementary inner diameter of the wall 16 of the cover 10 when the cover 10 is mounted over the rim or open top end of the beverage container.

The inward tapered surface of the conical wall 16 of the cover 10 provides the desired nesting capability of the cover 10 on different diameter, rims or open ends of containers.

In one aspect. shown in FIGS. 3 and 5-9 for the cover 10, the interior surface or seat means formed of a plurality of different diameter surfaces or steps 26A, 26B, etc., which extend in decreasing diameters from the open first end 18 to substantially to the opposed second end 20. Each step 26A, 26B, etc., can be in the form of a continuous or discontinuous annular; linear surface extending completely around the interior of the wall 16 of the cover 10 at a predetermined location between the first and second ends 18 and 20 of the cover 10.

The steps 26A and 26B can be formed of the same radial extent or inward width and at constant vertical increments between the first and second ends 18 and 20. Alternately, the steps 26A and 26B can be of different radial extents and different vertical increments from each other.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cover 10 can be mounted over the rim 30 surrounding the open end of a beer mug 32. Regardless of the diameter of the rim or open end 30 of the beer mug 32, the first open end 18 of the cover 10 is merely inserted over the rim or open end 30 of the beer mug 32 until the rim open end 30 of the beer mug 32 engages one of the seats, such as seat 26A, within the cover 10. As shown in FIG. 6, this seating engagement centers the cover 10 on the mug 30 and securely mounts the cover 10 on the mug 30.

The same shaped and sized cover 10 may be employed with a large diameter wine or martini glass 34 as shown in FIG. 7. The open end 18 of the cover 10 is still inserted over the open end or rim 36 of the glass 34 until one of the seats within the interior of the wall 16 of the cover 10 engages the rim 36 of the glass 34. As can be seen when comparing FIGS. 6 and 7, the larger diameter of the open end or rim 36 of the wine or martini glass 34 engages a larger diameter seat within the cavity of the cover 10 then does the slightly smaller diameter rim 30 of the beer mug 32.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8, the same cover 10 may be mounted over the rim 40 of a beer or soda pop bottle 38. Since the open end or rim 40 of a typical beer or soda pop bottle 38 is relatively small, the cover 10 will slide over a greater extent or distance over the upper end of the bottle 38, then with the larger diameter beer mug 30 or wine/martini glass 34, until the rim 40 of the beer bottle 38 engages one of the seats closer to the second end 20 of the cover 10.

In FIG. 9, the use of the cover 10 with a medium sized diameter beverage glass 42 is shown. The upper end or rim 44 of the glass 42 will engage a complementary diameter seat, such as seat 26B, for example, to self-center and removably mount the cover 10 on the container 42.

It can be seen that the seats 26A and 26B, can be eliminated in the case of the conical shaped cover 10 since the gradually decreasing diameter of the wall 16 of the cover 10 between the first end 18 and the second end 20 provides a plurality seat-like locations between the first and second ends 18 and 20 of the cover 10 which will engage a complementary diameter rim or top end of various diameter beverage containers.

For beverage container covers which do not have a conical shape, such as a top hat, musical instrument, football, etc., the wall of the cover forming the interior cavity maybe formed with increasing thickness from the open end 18 to the opposed second end 20 to provide the desired gradually reducing diameter surface or seats to accommodate different diameter beverage containers. This means that the thickness of the wall of a generally constant outer diameter top hat or an oval shaped football can be formed with increasing thickness to form a conical tapering diameter between the first end 18 and second end 20 to provide the desired decreasing diameter surfaces for engagement with different diameter ends or rims of various beverage containers.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, there is depicted another aspect of a beverage container cover 60 which is similar to the cover 10 but includes a different interior surface or seat arrangement for engagement with different diameter beverage containers. For covers having non-conical shaped walls, the ribs 72, 74, 76 and 78 may have a varying height or extend from the wall so as to form a tapering smaller diameter opening within the cavity of the cover along the length of the ribs 72, 74, 76 and 78 from the first end 68 toward the opposed second end 70.

The cover 60 is illustrated, by example only, as being in the shape of a conical traffic cone it can also be any of the shapes described above. The cover 60 includes a body 62 having a base or flange 64 from which extends a conical shaped wall 66. An interior cavity 67 is formed within the wall 66 of the cover 60 and extends from an open end 68 in the base 64 to an opposed second end 70.

In this aspect, the engagement surface or seat means includes a plurality of ribs attached to or integrally formed with the wall 66 of the cover 60, and extending radially inward into the cavity 67. By way of example only, four identically shaped ribs 72, 74, 76 and 78 extend radially inward from an inner surface of the wall 66. The rib 72, 74, 76 and 78 are equi-angularly spaced apart, such as at the illustrated 90° spacing. Fewer or more ribs may also be employed. The ribs 72, 74, 76 and 78 have an inner surface that tapers from a large diameter between the ribs at the end 68 to a smaller diameter between the ribs at the second end 70. Each rib 72, 74, 76 and 78 has a substantially identical height so as to extend inward the same distance from the inner surface of the wall 66 as the other ribs 72, 74, 76 and 78.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the cover 60 is mounted over the upper end or rim 30 of the beverage container, such as the beer mug 32, the upper end 30 of the beer mug 32 will engage a complimentary diameter portion of the ribs 72, 74, 76 and 78 to self-center and to secure the cover 60 on the beer mug 32.

In the case of covers having a non-conical sidewall, such as a top hat, musical instrument, football or other sports equipment, the ribs within the interior of the body of the wall of such covers may be formed with radially increasing or varying thickness or radial extent from the wall so as to provide the gradual, conically decreasing inner diameter along the length of the cavity. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover for a beverage container having a rim the cover comprising: a body having a wall defining an interior cavity with an open first end and an opposed second end; and an inner surface of the wall defining an engagement point with a rim of a beverage container to mount the cover completely on the rim of a beverage container.
 2. The cover of claim 1 further comprising: the inner surface of the wall of the body defining a plurality of beverage container mounting locations between the first and second ends to enable a single body to be mounted on one of a plurality of beverage containers having different diameter rims.
 3. The cover of claim 1: the wall of the body has a conical shape extending from a large diameter at the first end of the body to a smaller diameter toward the second end of the body.
 4. The cover of claim 1 further comprising: seat means, carried on the inner surface of the wall within the cavity, for engaging the rim of one of a plurality of different diameter beverage containers.
 5. The cover of claim 4 wherein the seat means comprises: a plurality of concentric steps formed on an inner surface of the wall of the body.
 6. The cover of claim 5 wherein: each step defines one of a continuous and discontinuous annular surface.
 7. The cover of claim 5 further comprising: each step being equally incrementally spaced from adjacent steps.
 8. The cover of claim 5 wherein: each step has an equal radial extent.
 9. The cover of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of ribs carried on the inner surface of the wall of the body and extending radially inward into the cavity, the ribs defining longitudinal contact points for supporting the cover on one of a plurality of different diameter beverage containers.
 10. The cover of claim 9 wherein: the plurality of ribs have equal radial dimensions.
 11. The cover of claim 9 wherein: the ribs extend between from the first end toward the second end of the body. 